The Persons that speake. EVSEBIVS. GAMALIEL. ZEBEDAEVS. MARTIVS. EVPOLIS. POLLIO.
There met at Paris,1 (in the house of Eupolis,) Eusebius, Zebedaeus, Gamaliel, Martius; All Persons of eminent Qualitie, but of seuerall Dispositions. Eupolis himselfe was also present: And while they were set in conference, Pollio came in to them from Court; And as soone as he saw them, after his witty and pleasant manner, he said. said.
POLLIO.
Here be Foure of you, I thinke, were able to make a good World; For you are as differing as the Foure Elements, and yet you are Friends. As for Eupolis, because he is Temperate, and without Passion, hee may bee the Fifth Essence.
EVPOLIS.
If we fiue (Pollio,) make the Great World, you alone may make the Little; Because you professe and practise both, to referre all Things to your Selfe.
POLLIO.
And what doe they that practise it, and professe it not?
EVPOLIS.
They are the lesse Hardy, and the more Dangerous. But come, and fit downe with vs, for we were speaking of the Affaires of Christendome, at this day: Wherein we would be glad also, to haue your Opinion.
POLLIO.
My Lords, I haue iourneyed this Morning, and it is now the Heat of the Day; Therefore your Lordships Discourses, had need content my Eares very well, to make them entreat mine Eyes to keepe open. But yet if you will giue mee leaue to awake you, when I thinke your Discourses doe but sleepe, I will keepe watch the best I can.
EVPOLIS.
You cannot doe vs a greater Fauour. Onely I feare, you will thinke all our Discourses, to be but the better sort of Dreames: For good wishes, without power to effect, are not much more. But Sir, when you came in, Martius had both raised our Attentions, and affected vs with some Speech he had begunne; And it falleth out well, to shake off your Drowsinesse, for it seemed to be the Trumpet of a Warre. And therefore, (Martius,) if it please you, to begin againe; For the Speech was such, as deserueth to be heard twice; And I assure you, your Auditory is not a little amended, by the presence of Pollio.
MARTIVS.
When you came in, (Pollio,) I was saying freely to these Lords, that I had obserued, how by the space now, of halfe a Century of yeares, there had beene (if I may speak it,) a Kind of Meannesse, in the Designes, & Enterprises of Christendome. Warres with Subiects; Like an angry Sute for a Mans Owne, that mought be better ended by Accord. Some petty Acquests of a Towne, or a Spot of Territory; Like a Farmers Purchase of a Close, or Nooke of Ground, that lay fit for him. And although the Warres had beene, for a Naples, or a Millaine, or a Portugall, or a Bohemia, yet these Warres were but as the Warres of Heathen, (Of Athens, or Sparta, or Rome,) for Secular Interest, or Ambition, not worthy the Warfare of Christians. The Church (indeed) maketh her Missions, into the Extreme Parts, of the Nations, and Isles; And it is well: But this is, Ecce Vnus Gladius hic. The Christian Princes, and Potentates are they, that are wanting, to the Propagation of the Faith, by their Armes. Yet our Lord, that said on Eatrh, to the Disciples, Ite & praedicate; Said from Heauen, to Constantine, In hoc signo Vince. What Christian Souldier is there, that will not be touched, with a Religious Emulation, to see an Order of Iesus, or of Saint Francis, or of Saint Augustine, doe such seruice, for enlarging the Christian Borders; And an Order of Saint Iago, or Saint Michael, or Saint George, only to Roab, and Feast, and performe Rites, and Obseruances? Surely the Merchants themselues, shall rise in iudgement against the Princes, and Nobles of Europe: For they haue made a great Path, in the Seas, vnto the Ends of the World; And set forth Ships, and Forces, of Spanish, English, and Dutch, enough to make China tremble; And all this, for Pearle, or Stone, or Spices: But for the Pearle of the Kingdome of Heauen, Or the Stones of the Heauenly Hierusalem, Or the Spices of the Spouses Garden, not a Mast hath beene set vp. Nay they can make shift, to shed Christian Bloud, so farre off amongst themselues, and not a Drop for the Cause of Christ. But let me recall my selfe; I must acknowledge, that within the space of fifty yeares (whereof I spake,) there haue beene three Noble, and Memorable Actions, vpon the Infidels, wherein the Christian hath beene the Inuader. For where it is, vpon the Defensiue, I reckon it, a Warre of Nature, and not of Piety. The First was, that Famous, and Fortunate Warre by Sea, that ended in the Victory of Lepanto; Which hath put a Hooke, into the Nosthrills of the Ottomans, to this day: Which was the Worke (chiefly) of that excellent Pope, Pius Quintus; whom I wonder his Successours haue not declared a Saint. The Second was, the Noble, though Vnfortunate, Expedition, of Sebastian King of Portugall, vpon Africke, which was atchieued by him alone; So alone, as left somewhat for others to Excuse. The last was, the Braue Incursions, of Sigismund the Transiluanian Prince; The Thred of whose Prosperity was cut off, by the Christians themselues; Contrary to the Worthy, and Paternall Monitories, of Pope Clement the Eight. More than these, I doe not remember.